Working Groups of QPIRG Concordia

Haiti Action Montreal [http://canadahaitiaction.ca/]

HAM was initiated in early 2005 to build awareness of Canada 's role in overthrowing democracy and suppressing the truth about a human rights crisis in Haiti. Haiti has a special importance due to its slave revolution of 1791, as the first and o­nly successful slave revolt in history. (nikbarryshaw@yahoo.ca - 514-807-9037)

Re-Con

Re-Con is a prisoner initiated re-integration program, created in 1999, for lifers and long-term prisoners pending release at the Federal Training Center in Quebec. The motivation behind its inception was to establish a connection between the prisoner and the outside community, after a long-period of incarceration. It is Re-Con's main goal to establish links with the community, especially regarding the community resources which may aid in the reintegration process and in diminishing the effects of long-term incarceration (institutionalization). (recon_ftc@yahoo.ca)

Solidarity Across Borders (SAB) [http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/]

Solidarity Across Borders is a Montreal-based network engaged in the struggle for justice and dignity of immigrants and refugees. We are comprised of migrants, immigrants, refugees and allies, and come together in support of our main demands: the regularization of all non-status people (Status for All!), an end to deportations and detentions, and the abolition of security certificates. Some of us have direct experiences with the immigration and refugee system; some of us come from immigrant backgrounds; all of us organize as part of a collective struggle for justice and dignity. For us, there is no such thing as "illegal" human beings, o­nly unjust laws and illegitimate governments. We organize not o­n the basis of pity or charity, but solidarity and mutual aid.(sansfrontieres@resist.ca)

Block the Empire Montreal [http://blocktheempire.blogspot.com]

Block the Empire-Montreal is an anti-authoritarian, anti-imperialist, direct action collective. We oppose the manifestations and roots of war -- colonialism, capitalism and imperialism -- both at home and abroad. We actin direct solidarity with all those o-n the frontlines who resist and struggle against occupation and exploitation. We assert our support for indigenous sovereignty; there can be no justice o-n stolen land.(bloquezlempiremontreal@resist.ca)

The Montreal Childcare Network [http://www.childcarecollective.blogspot.com]

The Montreal Childcare Network is a group of volunteers who provide childcare at social justice oriented events and meetings. We also organize free or affordable kids day camps and activities specifically geared towards non-status and aboriginal children. We believe that providing non-authoritarian quality childcare is an important way that we can work in solidarity with other social justice groups in Montreal and with individual families in our community.(childcarecollective@riseup.net - 514-848-7583)

Colours of Resistance Montreal aka Snap! Moving to Our Own Beats [http://snap.mahost.org/]

CORM is a collective of youth of colour/indigenous youth and allies, who are organizing our own education for liberation. Our mission is to support our new multi-racial generation of young organizers – especially queer youth, trans youth, youth with disabilities, young women, and/or low-income youth – to find the skills, vision, energy, hope, and support we need to struggle for justice and liberation for all oppressed people.
Currently, our main project is Snap! Moving to Our Own Beats: a free summer program for youth of colour and Indigenous youth to learn skills, share ideas and gain experiences that will help us to change the world we live in (snapmoob@gmail.com)

Kanehsatake Garden Project

We are a collective of anti-capitalist, anti-oppression & decolonization activists who, in the context of our solidarity work, came to a mutually beneficial arrangement to plant a garden for self-sufficiency o­n a contested piece of traditional Kanien:keha'ka (Mohawk) land. With respect for the land (and by extension our bodies) we have used organic gardening methods with abundant results! Every person who participates in the garden (just o­nce or weekly) is free to take home whatever is ready for harvest. In solidarity with those struggling against the effects of colonialism daily, and whose land we do live o­n, we have also been able to deliver approxiately 15-25 gallons of vegetables to the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal every week during the harvest season. This working group runs from March to late October. (jardin@lists.riseup.net)

LCP Working Group

LCP Working group raises awareness and promotes the rights and welfare of Filipino women working in Canada as domestic helpers. By empowering women through seminars, workshops, capacity building and skills training, we will build a strong united group and remove conditions and barriers that stall the development of Filipino women in Quebec and Canada. We will put into place progressive policies that benefit all people. (514 364 9833)

QPOC Fleshtival

QPOC Fleshtival is a group that organizes sex positive events by and for queer people of colour. It’s objective is to create a temporary community of sex-positive queer of colour and to think about issues of racialization, class and sexuality and how they relate to erotic cultural productions. (qpocfleshtival@gmail.com)

Open Door Books (ODB) aka Books to Prisoners

ODB is a volunteer collective that offers support to people in prison by sending books for free, by mail. We believe that prisons are detrimental to humanity, and we value books as tools for political awareness, self-empowerment, and distraction from the grind of prison life. (bookstoprisoners@gmail.com)

Qteam

In the face of a climate where access to sexually explicit and queer materials is still under attack from the federal and provincial governments, and where there are very few spaces in Montreal that queer people can gather outside the context of mainstream gay culture, the Queer Team organizes events and public forums with diverse and exciting programming as well educational workshops throughout the year to foster radical anti-capitalist anti-racist and trans-positive queer agendas and actions. (qteam@riseup.net)

Ste. Emilie Skillshare aka Countershot [steemilieskillshare.com]

Countershot/Ste. Emilie SkillShare is a group of artists and activists, primarily people of colour and queer people, committed to promoting artistic expression and self-representation in our communities.We are building and running an art studio for people to learn new skills, share their skills, and create art in the spirit of revolution and anti-oppression (anti-racism/sexism/classism/homophobia/transphobia/ableism/sizeism/etc). The space includes a silkscreen studio, a darkroom, a craft and sewing room, a kids room and a 'zine distro/library. We host open studios (Saturdays) and workshops, open to the public, for cheap. (mtlskillshare@gmail.com -514.933.2573)

International Solidarity Movement (ISM)

The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian-led
movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. Our activities now are directed towards the boycott movement, and Canada's various complicities, as called for by over 170 civil organizations in Palestine. (freda.guttman@gmail,com -514 286 2946)

Certain Days Political Prisoner Calendar Committee [http://certaindays.org/]

The Certain Days Political Prisoner Calendar Committee works to support, educate about and fundraise for political prisoners through the production of a yearly calendar. The calendar is a project produced by organizers in Montreal and Toronto, with the support of 3 political prisoners in upstate New York. We work with an anti-imperialist, anti-racist, feminist, queer and trans positive perspective to help free our movement's political prisoners. (info@certaindays.org)

Political Prisoner Solidarity Project

The Political Prisoner Solidarity Project works to provide direct support to Political Prisoners, with an emphasis o­n maintaining longstanding relationships developed through joint political work. Support is provided by way of in-person prisoner visits, legal and campaign work, medical support for prisoners, parole campaigns and more. (transter_ty@hotmail.com - (514) 807-2277)

Ici la Otra

Le collectif Ici la Otra – Montreal regroupe des individus adhérent-e-s à la Sixième Déclaration de la jungle Lacandone, appel lancé par les Zapatistes à l’hiver 2005. Ici la Otra est anti-capitaliste, anti-autoritaire, anti-occidentalisme, contre le patriarcat et le racisme. Nos formes d’action sont l’éducation populaire et l’action directe. En bas et à gauche! (ici_lasexta@yahoo.ca)

Anti-Oppression Education Working Group

The anti-oppression education working group is a network of support for people working in various ways (particularly as casual labour) to fight oppression and to provide accessible anti-oppression education to interested people. We can provide organizations/groups/people with facilitators, facilitation training or resources. (info@qpirgconcordia.org)

Student Awareness and Activism at Concordia University (SAACU)

SACCU is meant to keep students informed and active towards important issues. What we handle are up to students. Research is encouraged to help understand and face these issues. We have open discussions and/or lectures weekly, with topics ranging far and wide. These meetings also serve as a time to organize and figure our direction for SAACU. All are welcome and inquiries are encouraged. Meetings are every Thursday from 4:30 till 6pm at QPIRG. (saacu07@gmail.com - 514-402-4217)

TAPthirst

TAPthirst (Tap drinkers against privatization) is a new initiative dedicated to promoting awareness of the social, environmental and monetary (did you know that the price of water is three times that of gasoline!) cost of the bottled water industry. We aim to empower people at a grassroots level by supplying them with the information and tools necessary to question the bottled water companies and their effects o­n our communities as we as the world at large. In doing this e hope to bring people o­n step closer to ethical water consumption and help avoid the privatization of a natural resource. (tapthirst@gmail.com)

The Montreal Sound Team

The Montreal Sound Team provides sound services for Montreal area community groups that cannot afford to pay professional rates.  We also strive to disseminate and democratize the technical knowledge of audio production systems. We build, maintain and operate P.A. systems for community events, rallies and demonstrations, conferences and performances.  Our purpose is to support people’s grassroots initiatives and act in the interests of communities and their struggles for economic and political justice. As a working group, we will disseminate and democratize knowledge of and access to public address (PA) and recording technology. The working group will also serve as a launching point for the group's long-term project goals, which include establishing an o­ngoing "community sound resource" where people, be they community groups or local youth, can learn and produce music and audio.  The working group itself will thus focus o­n building a network of individuals interested in learning and providing free sound services. We will continue to provide these services at community events and maintain the equipment, while extending our network and spreading the technical knowledge via workshops, teach-ins and o­n-site training. We will also begin a fund-raising campaign to improve the sound system itself.  (kscott@graffiti.net)

Affiliate Groups of QPIRG Concordia

Right To Move/La Voie Libre [http://www.rtm-lvl.org/]

Right to Move is a bike repair and advocacy group. Want to learn bike mechanics? Help promote sustainable transportation? Free people from their CO2mobiles? Learn the art of bicycle ‘recycling' and build a bike for yourself or someone who can't otherwise afford o­ne/? Check out our bike space in the alley behind the Hall building. (info@rtm-lvl.org - 514-999-4885)

Solidarity Groups of QPIRG Concordia

Centre for Media Alternatives - Quebec (CMAQ) [www.cmaq.net]
Quebec's Centre for Media Alternative is a virtual platform for independent and
alternative information, functioning o­n principles of non-conformity, participatory
democracy, service exchange, knowledge sharing, and mobilization towards a shared
vision of social justice. (collectif@cmaq.net)

Anarchist Reading Circle

The Concordia Anarchist Reading Circle is an informal and changing group of individuals who have been meeting regularly to discuss anarchist ideas and writings for a few years. In the past, we have also engaged in the distribution and outreach of anarchist ideas through tabling o­n campus and screening anarchist related films. The topics of our readings have included classical anarchist philosophy, social movements, squatting, sexism and patriarchy, situationist theory, student uprisings, insurrectionary anarchists, anarcho-communism, contemporary critical theory and much more. We aim to have non-hierarchical and open discussions that contrast with academic learning, and are always open to new members. We also wish to foster anarchist community and projects o­n campus and throughout our lives, using this group partially as a place to make connections with like minded folks. While we want to remain autonomous from all official student organizations, we have a great deal of solidarity and support for QPIRG Concordia for the use of space and resources over the years. We currently meet Tuesdays, 8pm, at QPIRG. To get in touch or join or list-serve contact: a.fiery.winter@gmail.com

Study In Action[http://qpirgconcordia.org/Article17.phtml]

Study in Action seeks to foster ties between undergraduate students and the broader Montreal community in order to strengthen the spirit of social justice, promote undergraduate research, and emphasize links between the two. With a hope of energizing both communities in question, the conference also seeks to create concrete links between grassroots organizations and undergraduate work by providing research and a volunteer base for community organizations to call o­n. (info@qpirgconcordia.org)

Anarchist Bookfair [http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/]

The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair and Festival of Anarchy is the largest anarchist event in North America , and an important exchange of anarchist and anti-authoritarian ideas. The Bookfair is for anarchists and non-anarchists alike, in French and English, with participants from all over North America and beyond. Founded in May 2000, the bookfair is now entering its seventh year. (info@anarchistbookfair.ca)

The Prisoner Correspondence Project

The Prisoner Correspondence Project coordinates a direct-correspondence program for gay, lesbian, transexual, transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex, bisexual, and queer inmates in Canada, linking these inmates with people a part of these same communities outside of prison. The project also coordinates a resource library of information regarding harm reduction practice (safer sex, safer drug-use, clean needle care), HIV and HEPC prevention, homophobia, transphobia, coming out, etc. (queertrans.prisonersolidarity@gmail.com)

Is there something else that interests you? Do you want to start a new working group? Come by QPIRG Concordia to pick up an application and talk to o­ne of the staff. OR download the application form o­nline and email it to us.For more info call: 848-7585, or come by the office at 1500 de Maisonneuve O., suite 204, Mon-Thurs 1-6pm, or email us at info@qpirgconcordia.org .

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Downloads for Working Group Members:

Download the "2007-2008 Reciprocity Agreement: Rights and Responsibilities" for working groups

QPIRG Concordia logo for your publicity.

Working Group Expense Report to submit for reimbursements (must be endorsed by another member of your working group).